Life and Times of Harry James Potter
by Astiar
Summary: Harry's life story told by his wife and children. Begins with Harry's funeral.
1. Death of a Good Man

AN: Starts out a little sad

"We have gathered here today to send off one of this worlds greats. I would like to read a few words he prepared before his passing." John Colcannod told the assembled mourners. He was a long time family friend and priest.

John cleared his throat and discreetly wiped his eyes. "Dear friends, family and all you dammed reporters that sneaked in." This caused a few wet chuckles from the crowd. "I know you will mourn me even if I ask you not to. I have lived a long full life. I ask that you remember all the happy times in my life not dwell on the unfortunate.

To my children I believe I have done right by you, in raising you to be good women and men. I hope that I have spoiled my grand children rotten yet instilled in you a since of justice and honor that will see you through the most difficult times. And to my great-grand-children, I have not gotten to hold or love you near long enough. But I will be watching over you and I will do all I can to see you grow up strong and happy. To my dear friends, some of you I leave behind but others I will be joining on the other side. Those of you left know that we will be preparing the afterlife for when you join us. Which should be many, many years from now. Lastly to my dear beloved. You have stood by me and loved me long before I understood what love was. You looked at the wizarding world's savior and just saw me. You have always just seen me. You my love will never be without me for even though death has parted us you still carry my heart. And I shall keep yours until we can be reunited again.

Keep light and hope in your hearts always and when your time comes do as I have and great death as though he is an old friend. I will be waiting for all of you so that we may begin our next great adventure." John choked out the last bit. There was hardly a dry eye to be found as it seemed the whole world mourned the loss of a great man.

After the ceremony the whole Potter clan, along with Harry's closest friends, reconvened at Potter Manor. As every one was talking about the service and what a good man Harry was one little grand daughter found the Lady Potter standing alone in his office.

She looked around at all the lovely glass figurines. "Grand mama? What are all these figures for?" She asked looking up at the elder lady.

Lady Potter turned and smiled down at the child. She had tears in her eyes but wasn't crying, Harry wouldn't want her to cry. "These are memories." She told the girl. Not noticing that some others had come to the study door. "In these past years your Grand Pa has been losing his memories. So I found or had crafted these glass trinkets to remind him of his greatest adventures."

The girl looked wide eyed around the room in awe. Every available surface seemed to be over flowing with the 3-5 inch figures. Her eyes finally settled on a group of 3 beautifully crafted dragons. "Can you tell me Grand Mama? Can you tell me the story of every trinket?"

There were several agreeing voices from the door way. It seemed most of the family had come to look in his office and just stayed watching the two. Lady Potter laughed. "Alright. Everyone grab a figure or 2 and lets take them to the grand living room." She stated. She reached way in the back, grabbing one figure that was hidden completely behind it's brothers and other nick knacks.

Once everyone was settled in what was once a ballroom but was now a giant living room littered with coaches and chairs of all shapes and sizes. All the mismatched pieces shouldn't fit together but some how they did. Much like the people in them. They were all so different, coming from all walks of life but they were brought together by one extraordinary man.

Lady Potter cleared her throat. "IF we are doing this it will be in chronological order. This..." She said looking down at the figure in her hand. "This is the beginning of the Life of Harry James Potter." She told them holding up a small glass rune stone with sowilo rune carved in it. "This is how the Boy Who Lived was created." 

An: Leaving it there till next time.


	2. Sowilo

AN: Don't own. Fair warning: I will be changing some portions of the story line to fit my needs.

Guesses and thoughts on who Lady Potter is are welcome.

"It all started not with Harry Potter... or any Potter for that matter. The tale of my Harry's life starts with Sirius Orion Black...

Sirius Black was the secret keeper for the Potters. But on May 1st 1981 he was captured by death eaters and tortured for two strait weeks. He would never ever speak of what happened during that time but he did confess to James in privet that he wouldn't have lasted one more day. He begged his best friend to change secret keepers because he was now compromised. If he was taken again he would sing like a lark.

This started the largest and loudest fight between the Potters in all the years Lily and James have known each other. James wanted to stay and fight choosing one of their friends to take Sirius's place. Lily wanted to take Harry and go to the other side of the world were people had never heard of Britain and Voldemort.

James finally talked... guilted Lily into staying. He brought up all the people that would die or join the monster if they were to leave the country. She wasn't happy and she let everyone that came anywhere near her know it. The death eaters began to show real fear when ever a teed off Lily Potter hit the battle field.

Lily agreed to stay but she had some conditions. One was that Sirius had to sneak into the Black family home and copy every book on protective wards, runes, rituals... everything. Secondly Peter, who James chooses as their new secret keeper, had to have a spell put on him as well. And third James had to buy her, her weight in chocolate covered cherries.

The spell she put on Peter was an area effect. If he should betray them he would be unable to do magic or lie if he was within a 10 foot radius of Harry. This way her son would have a bit of a fighting chance. She knew Peter was a coward and a crap shoot of a wizard. Past point blank range he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Much like a rat who's vision is terrible.

Once Sirius was able to acquire the books she demanded Lily poured herself into them. She read them as quickly and effectively as possible. She kept running notes in a never ending notebook. She kept at it till Harry's first birthday. That night she and James preformed a ritual she created to protect Harry. Should she or James die Harry would be safe from evil. Should they both die Harry would be surrounded by a shield. Should they die within 5 minutes of each other Harry would become nearly indestructible till he came of age. This was sealed with a sowilo written in each of their blood upon his brow. If the ritual was activated the rune would burn into the flesh but cause no pain. The stronger the protection the stronger the rune.

After the ritual Lily locked her research and all the copied books in a warded chest and had them sent to the Potter family vault so that none other than a Potter could use them.

On All Hallows Eve of 1981, Lily's protection came into play. She heard her husband be killed and knew there was no way out of the house. So she instead gathered Harry's things as quickly as possible, counting the seconds as she did. Lily was now on a time table. She had five minutes to die, the trick was she couldn't kill herself or it would void the ritual. If the dark prick killed her in the next 3 minutes 27 seconds then Harry would never have to worry about his safety.

She had everything gathered and placed the bottomless bag in Harry's crib. 2 min 31 sec. She could hear him right outside the door. She cast a reinforcing spell on the room so if Voldemort attacked and the protection reacted violently Harry wouldn't be buried in the rubble.

1 min 56 sec. He was just outside the door coming in. She shot a spell at him before releasing her wand as he cast an expelliamus.

46 sec. 'Stop gloating and kill me you bastard.' She thought furiously as she begged for Harry's life.

13 sec. Lily Potter died with a smile as the green curse sailed toward her. She may not live to raise her son but she would always be there protecting him.

There was a bright glow around the crib of the little brat that was foretold to defeat him. He didn't know the source of the magic but it soon wouldn't matter. He cast the killing curse once again. Only this time a brilliant blue shield manifested around the boy. When the curse hit the shield it bowed inward like rubber. Then it threw the curse back out with 3 times the force. The sliver of a soul left in the body of the dark lord along with said body and three-fourths the house were destroyed by the blast.

The young boy at the center of this catastrophe didn't know what to do so he started calling for his mother. That is were he was found over an hour later by a giant of a man with a scruffy beard and kind eyes. He picked up the child who had cried himself hoarse. The man took little Harry to meet Professor Dumbledore at number 4 Privet Dr, Surrey.

"That's how he got the scar. Not from some connection to the Dark wanker." Lady Potter told the assembled crowd. "He hated this one." Looking at the rune stone. "This memory was the hardest for him. Knowing that his parents died protecting him. And later learning that he was lied to about where it came from. Not that anyone knew the truth. Not until Harry took possession of the Resurrection Stone. But that is a much later story. 16 years latter to be exact."

AN: another chapter on the way. There will be a lot skipped for now about Harry's life with the Dursley's that will come up latter. This is being told by his wife through these significant nick knacks. So each chapter will be about the memory each figure represents. So some parts will be missing.

Please review and let me know what you think.


	3. Potbellied Dudd

AN: If I was being paid for this I wouldn't work the crap job I have.

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The family looked up at their elder. No one save her and one other good friend that had already left this world knew of the real story behind the scar. They were amazed at the love Lily Potter had for her son. And the genius that she displayed. They were not however surprised. All those in the family knew that Harry Potter had more capacity to love than anyone else could imagine. He cared for everyone even those that he couldn't stand to be around, he would still try and help.

"Which one is next Gran?" One of the teens asked. Most of the family under 25 just called her Gran or Grand Mama.

She smiled in her kindly way at the impatience of youth. She could see Harry in the boy. He was like that as a child. Young and reckless. Couldn't sit still for a moment. "Who has the small potbellied pig?" She asked.

"I do Mom." Her third daughter Mary said coming up to her. "This was always my favorite story. Do you mind if I retell it?"

"Of course dear. Though I may add a few parts. I dear say there were some things your father may have missed. He could be such a blind boy at times. I mean look how long it took him to ask for my hand." The older generation laughed with her. It was true. Harry had taken his sweet time in asking.

"Alright. Well for 10 years after his parents death Dad lived with Grandmother Lilly's non-magical sister Petunia. This is how he was reintroduced to the magical world." Mary said in her clear musical voice.

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Petunia Dursley hated and disliked just about everything. She didn't like the hedges or grass to grow out of line. She hated when any neighbor had a party or gathering that was better then hers and above all things she hated her nephew Harry Potter. He was like a stain that would never come clean. So like all the other dirty rags she hadn't thrown out she tossed him in the attic to rot. She thought of putting him in the cupboard under the stairs but that was far to close to her guests for her liking. So up in the attic where even if there was a circus going on in his room they wouldn't hear a peep. There he could fester in his freakishness.

And the things he would get up to she would have scarcely believed. Harry was a clever and very sneaky boy. He had to be to avoid being punished for freakishness. He would sneak out of the attic at night using the window, since the attic door creaked and made enough noise to wake the dead, and then down into the kitchen to fix him something to eat. Or even out into the neighborhood to explore. One of Harry's biggest faults was his curiosity. It was insatiable. He had to know everything about everything. Why was the sky blue, why was the grass green, why did people only have hair on their heads? Those were only some of his questions. There were two questions that Harry wanted answered the most and those were the only ones he couldn't find satisfactory answers to. One was why could he do all these strange, 'freakish' things. The other was why couldn't the Dursley's love him?

He found out where is strange power came from on July 20th 1991. When he was asked to get the mail. There was a strange letter written on off white parchment that was addressed to him. In fact right to his room. Harry J. Potter, Attic, 4 Privet Drive, Surrey. On the back was a green wax seal with some kind of coat of arms. But Harry didn't recognize it. He had been interested in coats of arms for 3 weeks strait and had memorized all the ones of the British Isles. He also thought it was strange that there was no postage or return address.

Harry was caught there gathering wool. Just staring at the letter. His uncle had come to see what was keeping that daft brat. When he saw that he was staring at the letter like it was his own Vernon snatched it away. And looked it over. Opening the letter his face went from calk white to furious purple so fast it's a miracle he didn't pass out. He ripped the letter to shreds right there in front of Harry who was to flabbergasted to even react.

Then it happened again. Another letter in the morning. Then weird things started happening. Letters attacking the house, letters in eggs, owls surrounding them. It was all really odd. And Vernon was the oddest of all. He seemed to be having a mental breakdown. After near a week he took them all on a crazed fight. They made their way to a rundown shack on a pinnacle of rock out on the sea.

The Dusley's began to relax when there was no letter unexplainably waiting on them. They all headed to bed and Harry was left to find the most comfortable part part of the floor. He had packed his notebook and some clothes in his backpack before they left so he uses the clothes as a mattress and the bag as a pillow.

It was Harry's 11th Birthday and as was his tradition he stayed up to see it in. He looked at Dudley's watch in the gloom waiting for the hands to reach midnight. Just as they did the doors to the shack burst in knocked clean off it's hinges. In the door way stood a giant of a man. He had coal black hair, an equally dark fuzzy beard and two small eyes above his rosy cheeks. Harry was very unsure about him. He looked both scary and friendly, terrifying and kind. But the man either way seemed simple. Which was reinforced when his apologized and tried to right the door.

Harry sat back and enjoyed the show before him. Hagrid, that was the mans name, was livid with the Dursley's and the man was frightening when angry. He argued with them about Harry being a wizard and about a man named Dumbledore. But Harry just took it all in. He had a million questions but kept them to himself. He had always been forbidden to ask questions at their house. He was happy to learn about his parents and that his powers really were magic.

Harry couldn't help but burst into laughter when Hagrid gave Dudley a tail. "I was trying to turn 'im into a pig. Guess that's alls missin'"

Harry just laughed harder. He nearly had tears in his eyes. He was thrilled that Hagrid defended him from his family and was happy to get some form of payback for all those Harry Hunting sessions.

Once the Dursley's were shut up in the back bedroom and Harry realized Hagrid was kind and would answer him he asked lots of questions about magic and Hogwarts. He found out quickly that the large man was in no way helpful. He knew little and had trouble explaining what he did know.

Harry would just have to wait till tomorrow to get his answers. One thing he had gotten was the mans permission to stay at a wizarding hotel till the 1st to give his relatives time to cool down. He fell asleep and dreamed of how it would be to spend 3 weeks without the Dursley's.

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Mary ended. She had them all enthralled, and the few interruptions and corrections gran had made hadn't taken from the story at all. No one that hadn't know Harry as a young boy would have ever guessed he was from such a neglectful home.

"Thank you Mary, you did a wonderful job." Lady Potter kissed her daughter on the cheek. "Oh yes my dear Harry lead a charmed life. But charmed and easy are two very different things. I know Harry learned, had and experienced many things people would give their lives to have done. But along with all that he was also put trough things that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. My dear husband taught me many things but the most difficult and most important was forgiveness."

She sighed and looked out one of the windows, every room had looks of windows and natural light. Harry hated being in tight closed spaces. While his room had a small window it didn't help much and he felt suffocated in that house. "But while he forgave easy he also believed in fair payback and just deserts. This only grew when he met the twins and learned the art of pranking." She smiled.

"You will all see some of his more ingenious pay backs later though. We are going in chronological order." The sly old fox told them.

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AN: Here's another one. Sorry it took so long I wasn't 100 percent on how far AU I wanted to go.

Thank you all for your responses. All positive so far I love it.


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